The Walls That Won't Come Down

Last year I wrote a series of posts that focused on the concept of the #NarrowRoad that Jesus call us to travel. Along the way there were a number of posts that focused on twists and turns, bad directions, roadblocks and other challenges that separate us from God and from the people around us. But all of those things are overcomeable obstacles that may throw us off course and delay us, but should not stop us. With perseverance and commitment we can continue the journey. Relationships that are damaged can be repaired. We just have to keep our eyes on the destination. Unless...we run into a wall. Walls are game changers.

Imagine being an invading army back in the day and running into the Great Wall of China. BAM! End of the road. Imagine being Joshua and company and starring down the walls of Jericho (before the trumpets and the crashing) and thinking, "Well this is a waste of time." Walls are much more than obstacles. They are...WALLS! If The Donald is elected he wants to build a wall to keep all of the Mexicans out of this country. If he is elected Canada may have to build a wall to keep all of us out of theirs. Walls separate us. Walls divide us. And not just the physical ones...

Most of us encounter walls in our personal lives as well. We yield to walls of fear, of heartache, of social convention and of anger and mistrust. We let old relationships put up walls between us and the new people in our lives. We build entire fortresses based on what others say should be true in our lives. These walls often keep us from living fulfilled lives, and they often hurt other people as well. But what can we do about them- after all, they are freakin' walls! The best option of course is to tear them down. But whether physical or emotional, that is never easy and occasionally impossible. Tearing down walls is often a God thing, not an "us" thing. I always thought our other choices were to go over the wall, go around the all or go under the wall (like the old Bear Hunt song from my camp days)- all of which are long trips that may still let the wall win. Walls are never easy to overcome.

And then one day a few weeks back I was listening to music while traveling up to do work at my Mom's villa and heard lyrics from the great philosopher/theologian James Buffett. I had heard the song a dozen times before, but this time something new hit me. And it hit me hard. Check out these words from the song Coast of Carolina:

Most every day goes by

According to design

I live this dream but still it seems

I have you on my mind

From the bottom of my heart

Off the coast of Carolina

After one or two false starts

I believe we found our stride

And the walls that won't come down

We can decorate or climb

Or find some way to get around

'Cause I'm still on your side

From the bottom of my heart

If we can't tear down the walls, and we can't go over or around- we can decorate! Walls are not always bad. Boundaries are often helpful. They can make us feel safe and protected. But in order for those things to be true, we have to use the walls to our benefit- not let them control us. If we put up walls of fear, then let the fear keep us from doing foolish things, not the things that need to be done. If there is a wall of anger in our lives, use the anger to motivate ourselves to be a bigger and better person that the one who created the wall within us. And should society seek to tell us that we are too "soft" or that we love too much or love the wrong person, decorate that wall! Use hearts and flowers and love songs and the words of Jesus himself to cover such walls in ways that make them reminders of what love can be, not obstacles that frustrate us. Sometimes loving people- REALLY loving them- means breaking some rules and doing unconventional things. That's how we control the walls. Imagine how differently invading armies would have felt if the Great Wall had been covered in peace symbols and flowers with a sign directing new arrivals to Visitors Center. Walls can be difficult. But they can also be what we make of 
them.

Something amazing happens in our hearts when we feel a wall come down. But short of that, we have to keep moving. We have to find our stride. We have to be the people God calls us to be. And if that calls for a little decorating that no one else understands, then count me in!

Because of Jesus,

The Theology of Jimmy Buffett

It's a Flashback Friday, and today I'm sharing one of my very favorite posts on theology. God is everywhere, not just in the boxes we seek to package Him in. Enjoy this post, and remember..."If we weren't all crazy we would go insane!" 

In the early 1980s I took a few Christian Education classes at a small Methodist college in Greensboro, NC. It was called (conveniently enough) Greensboro College. My favorites of these classes were taught by Dr. Jim Hull, an ordained UMC pastor who was famous in some circles for writing creative liturgies for large denominational and ecumenical events. He shared with us in class one day that for one such worship service he had done a call to worship using slides of the rapid changes going on in the world and the song Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes by Jimmy Buffett. When one of the Christian legalists in the class questioned the propriety of using Buffett music in a worship service, Dr. Hull responded with this quip- "There is more good theology in Jimmy Buffett's music than in most of the books I read in seminary." I have never forgotten that strange quote, and I have found it to be more than a little accurate in my own experience.

Now you might be thinking that Mr. Buffett may have written some thoughtful songs but he has also written some very off-color tunes. You would be correct. Jimmy himself one once said, "People ask me how I can write those real sensitive songs and then write those real trashy ones. I tell them it's because I'm real sensitive on some occasions and real trashy on others."  With that deeply theological statement, Jimmy describes the human condition and our need for a Savior far better than most preachers. And with many of his song lyrics through the years he has often raised questions and made points that can help us better understand the work of God in our lives in this crazy world in which we live. Please know that I know, Jimmy seldom means to be spiritual. But for those of us who know the love of God whose name is Jesus, he offers unique insights. Witness the following examples:

*Changes In Latitude, Changes In Attitude - Our world changes at a pace that is often difficult to comprehend. Dr. Hull understood that while our faith is a very serious thing, too many Christians forget that life is often a laughing matter. We seek to control life instead of letting go and letting God! Sometimes we need to get a little crazy to survive.

"It's these changes in  latitudes, changes in attitudes.
nothing remains quite the same.
With all of our running and all of our cunning
if we couldn't laugh we would all go insane...
If we weren't all crazy we would go insane!"


*We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About - A reminder that few of us turn out to be the safe, sane people our parents hope we will be. This is especially true if we follow the Wild One himself, Jesus of Nazareth. :)

"I was supposed to have been a Jesuit priest or a Naval Academy grad,
That was the way my parents perceived me, those were the plans that they had.
But I couldn't fit the part, too dumb- or too smart? 
Ain't it funny how we all turn out?
I guess we are the people our parents warned us about!"

*Nautical Wheeler - A song about a group of dancers who understand the need to slow down and appreciate the blessings God gives us in life. Wouldn't the world be a better place if more us of us were content?

"Where the jukebox is blastin' and the liquor is flowing
an occasional bottle of wine
That's cause everyone here is just more than contented
to be living and dying in 3/4 time."

*Fruitcakes - Jimmy grew up in the church and is often a critic of it.  And sometimes, he hits the nail right on the head...

"Where's the church, who took the steeple?
Religion's in the hands of some crazy-assed people
Television preachers with bad hair and dimples
But God's honest truth is it's not that simple..." 

*Pascagoula Run - John 10:10 tells us that Jesus came so that we might live an "abundant life." This song is about how Jimmy's favorite uncle got him out of the house and out to experience the world. More of us could use an Uncle Bill.

"Time to see the world, time to kiss a girl, time to cross that wide Meridian
Grab your bag and take a chance. time to learn a Cajun dance
Kid you're gonna' see the morning sun- on the Pascagoula Run" 

* Growing Older But Not Up - This Buffett classic is another reminder that if we aren't careful life will pass by without us truly living it. Always playing it "safe" means missing out on some of life's great joys. Growing up is overrated!

"I'm growing older but not up, my metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck,
So let the winds of change blow over my head
I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead."

*One Particular Harbor - There are special places in all of our lives where we feel more connected to the things of God and the people of God. For me, those places are Quaker Lake Camp and Springfield Friends Meeting. Where in your "One Particular Harbor?"

"I know I don't get there often enough, but God knows I surely try.
It's a magic kind of medicine that no doctor could prescribe.
I used to rule my world from a cell phone, from ships out on the sea,
but now times are rough & I've got too much stuff, can't explain the likes of me.
But there's this one particular harbor, a shelter from the storm..."

And I could go on. Songs like If the Phone Doesn't Ring It's Me, Death of an Unpopular Poet and A Pirate Looks at Forty all offer great theological insights into the work of God in the world we live in. Please understand- I am not suggesting we need to be singing more Buffett in church or that he offers more significant insights into our world than anyone else. It's just that we in the church tend to separate the world into sections- "holy" and "secular." Did you know that the concept of secular doesn't appear in scriptures? God can (and does!) use everything to bring us closer to him if we don't try too hard to keep God in the box we call religion. The Bible is our source for inspiration. It is also, as the late, great Rich Mullins once said, "a reminder that God is right- and the rest of us are guessing." My inspiration seldom comes from theologians. I am guessing yours doesn't either. So today, kick back, take a moment to live in 3/4 time, and enjoy a little Parrothead Theology. It's never too early or too late in the day to take a moment to slow down and BE with Jesus. Because you know- "it's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!"

"Enjoy every Sandwich."

Today's Playlist: Rare Buffett

You may recall that my family gave me a new iPod Nano for Father's Day this year, allowing me to go from 230 songs at a time to over 1400 tunes currently stored on my device. The variety is wonderful, but it means that the shuffle feature is a lot less useful. Instead, I have a dozen or so playlists that allow me to focus in on a specific artist or type of music, depending on the day and my mood. This morning felt like a real Friday to me. When you don't have a regular job, days of the week become much lees important in your life. But this has been a "heavy week," and today felt like it should be a Friday- full of fun and hope. So today's playlist choice was easy- Rare Buffett.

Many of you know that I have been a Parrothead for a long time-  since first attending a convert with Steve Semmler at an ice skating rink in Greensboro, NC in 1974. There is a lot of Jimmy Buffett music on my iPod, including the usual suspects like Margaritaville, Fins, Boat Drinks, Cheeseburger in Paradise and A Pirate Looks at Forty. My 35 song Rare Buffett playlist contains deeper cuts, songs many people may NOT know by heart. There are also very old (1978) live versions of Margaritaville (including the lost "Old men in tank tops" verse) & Why Don't We Get Drunk? (in which Jimmy tells the story of the inspiration for that classic!). These are songs that are near and dear to my heart- because they always make me smile. So this morning I pulled up that playlist and hit shuffle. These were the first 10 songs I heard, and a defining lyric from each one:

1. Manana - "Don't try to describe the ocean if you've never seen it. Don't ever forget that you just may wind up being WRONG!"
2. Ringling, Ringling- "Across from the bar there's a pile of beer cans, been there 27 years. Imagine all the heartaches and tears in 27 years of beer..."
3. The Wino and I Know-  "Strange situation, wild occupation, living my life like a song."
4. Last Mango in Paris- "I had to search my memory as I looked into his eyes. Our lives change like the weather but a legend never dies!"
5. It's My Job - "It's my job to be different from the rest, and that's the thing people expect from me..."
6. Saxophones - "But if we had saxophones, I could make that joint shimmy like a big California earthquake!"
7. Peanut Butter Conspiracy - "We never took more than we could eat, there was plenty left on the rack. And we all swore if we ever got rich we would pay the Mini Mart back...yes sir, yes sir...we would pay the Mini Mart back."
8. Death of an Unpopular Poet - "But he left all of his royalties to Spooner his old hound. Growing old on steak and bacon in a dog house 10 feet 'round. And everybody wonders did he really lose his mind? No, he was just a poet who lived before his time..."
9. Growing Older But Not Up- "I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead."
10. Nautical Wheelers - "That's 'cause everyone here is just more than contented to be living and dying in 3/4 time."

So there you have it. This is going to be a great day- I can just FEEL it! And if not- well it's always 5 o'clock somewhere- right?

Quaker Lake Flashbacks

From 1978 until 1983 I spent my summers working at a summer camp. I loved that job and have so many great memories. However...looking back I sometimes question my sanity. Long days, short nights, no air conditioning, no carbonated beverages and only one night a week to do anything else doesn't sound like anything a normal young adult would choose to do. And yet we considered it both a blessing and an honor to work there, as have so many others since then. Sometime in the late 1980's I stole from Jimmy Buffet and parodied his song We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About for a Quaker Lake Camp reunion event that never happened. I have always thought the song expressed a little bit of the craziness that came with working at Quaker Lake. The song is now WAY out of date; instead of Neal, I could say Heather and instead of the campers are the staff it could read "now the campers kids are the staff."  Everyone who has ever worked at QLC can identify with the spirit of the song, if not the particulars, because to survive working there you have to LOVE it. And it helped if you were just a little bit crazy...

I was supposed to have been a computer wiz or a naval academy grad (HA!)

That was the way that my parents perceived me, those were the plans that they had

But I couldn't fit the part, too dumb? Or too smart? Ain't it funny how we all turned out

I guess we are the people our parents warned us about

I could have worked at Pizza Inn, or Sears, or McD's, 
but instead I worked at Quaker Lake

It did permanent mental damage, the campers wouldn't give me a break

Now those campers are the staff and I just have to laugh
 'cause I know that it's so easy to see

That they're all demented, just like we taught them to be!

We are the people, they still can't figure out

We are the people, our parents warned us about

Hey, hey, Neal what do you say? Let me come back to Quaker Lake with you

Blue skies and the sun shining high, playing on lake so blue...well, green...
I've see it red!

Now I've got quarters in my loafers trying to fight inflation 
when it only used to take a cent

What happened to my Quaker Lake pension; now even my dog is for rent

But still I miss that crazy place, it put a smile on my face

and I'll never be normal again

'Cause I love tuna cheesies, and singing Ba-Ba-Barbara Ann!

We are the people, there isn't any doubt

We are the people our parents warned us about

We are the people who make you do a double take

We are the people who use to work at Quaker Lake

So here's to all the crazies without whom my life would have never been the same! The early Christians were like that- people thought they were either crazy or demon possessed. There is something about living life in the Light of Christ that makes us all a little dangerous- may we always be those people!

Because of Jesus,